ARTICLES ABOUT EDUCATORS BY DATE - PAGE 4

As the fifth vote in support of the Executive Education Academy Charter School was cast, Bob Lysek let out an audible sigh of relief. Lysek, chief executive officer of the new charter school, and his supporters may have been the only people to leave Thursday's Allentown School Board meeting happy. In a two-hour meeting that highlighted the challenges facing urban districts, school directors approved the Executive Education Academy, rejected the proposed Arts Academy Charter Elementary School and signed off on a proposed final budget that raises taxes 5.85 percent and eliminates 89 jobs.

By Emily Opilo, Of The Morning Call and By Emily Opilo, Of The Morning Call | May 16, 2014

Peter Schweyer leans over a worn folding table, taking notes as an Allentown resident details the traffic issues plaguing her neighborhood. The fluorescent treads of Schweyer's sneakers are visible beneath his dress slacks. He traded in his formal shoes to knock on doors in Center City before joining the Tuesday night neighborhood watch meeting in a South Side church basement. Tatiana Tooley, Schweyer's opponent, is also on the run. She started her day talking to voters at the Lehigh County Senior Citizens Center, and on this evening she's in Philadelphia raising money to finance her efforts.

Memorial Day is the occasion each year when we commemorate Americans who paid the ultimate price as members of our armed forces and salute all veterans, past and present, who have served their country honorably. I can still recall the first veteran I came to know personally. His name was John Slattery, and he was newly returned from a tour of duty in Vietnam. I was a high school student and the head altar boy at St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish in Boston. John's role was less clear.

Raise fund for education and Northwestern Lehigh School District by shopping on Amazon.com. Shoppers may sign up for the AmazonSmile program and 0.5 percent of each purchase will be donated to the Northwestern Lehigh Educational Foundation, according to the school district's website. Community members may sign up at https://smile.amazon.com and clicking "Get Started. " They will be required to enter their account information and the name of the educational foundation, the website said.

SCRANTON — Katie McGinty moved through the room with the ease of a politician who had decades under her belt. Framed by the sunny halls of John F. Kennedy Elementary School, she shook hands, posed for photos and greeted children who reached up for hugs. Many of the teachers at the mid-April campaign stop had only the vaguest idea who McGinty was. But as they listened to her recite her education priorities, that hardly seemed to matter. If elected governor, McGinty said, she would push to rescind Gov. Tom Corbett's cuts, promote smaller class sizes and fund preschool.

The Rock n' Run 5K Race and Fun Walk will be held at 9 a.m. May 31 at Ontelaunee Park. Check-in is from 8-8:45 a.m., according to the event website. Registration costs are $30 for adults and $25 for children through May 31. Every registered participant received a Rock n' Run T-shirt and complimentary refreshments, the website said. Prizes will be awarded to the top three male and top three female finishers, the website said. The race is organized by and will benefit the Northwestern Lehigh Educational Foundation.

Sigal Museum offers a variety of educational events and exhibits throughout the summer for all ages and encourages the community to register in advance to ensure a spot. The following is a list of activities that are available in June and July, according to a press release: 7 p.m., May 30 and June 5 – "The Founding of Easton 1752" Dinner Theatre at the Bachmann Publick House. Tickets are $50, includes dinner and the production. Reservations are due by May 23. 2 p.m. June 1 – "The Horner Cemetery and its Distinguished 'Residents,'" presented by Peggy Moser.

Pennsylvania school districts waiting on millions of dollars in long-delayed Medicaid money that pays for health-related services for students say "significant progress" has been made to right a state-run program they've described as woeful. But their recent optimism is tempered by lingering concerns over the way the school-based ACCESS program is administered. "Clearly, there are several additional hurdles that need to be overcome," said Hannah Barrick of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials.

A two-day educational workshop for photography beginners and intermediates will be held 10 a.m.-3 p.m. May 17 and 24 at Lehigh Gap Nature Center in Slatington. Phil Campbell will lead the workshop and participants should have SLR cameras, according to LGNC's website. Space is limited, so register early. The cost is $100. The center is at 8844 Paint Mill Road, Slatington. For more information, call 610-760-8889.

Family Connection of Easton is holding education forums for Easton Area School District kindergarten and pre-kindergarten teachers and administrators. The forums, which start on May 22 at 7:30 a.m. at Shawnee Elementary School, will discus topics such as kindergarten transition and school readiness. In 2010, Family Connection worked with groups, including the Easton Area School District, to create a kindergarten transition plan. The plan now includes pre-kindergarten visits to kindergarten classrooms and a "Connect to Kindergarten" welcoming events at each elementary school this June.